Dolphins think Jay Ajayi can do more in passing game in 2017

Dolphins running back Jay Ajayi had a breakout season in 2016 as he cracked 200 rushing yards in a game three times and wound up with 1,272 yards while helping the Dolphins back to the playoffs.

After the season ended, Ajayi said he wanted that performance to be his “baseline” for future seasons and one place he could add to his impact is in the passing game. Ajayi averaged 5.6 yards on his 27 catches and the Dolphins often turned to Damien Williams when they put the ball into the air.

Williams hasn’t signed his restricted free agent tender yet, which should offer Ajayi a chance to continue work on the passing game that offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said is already showing progress.

“Jay is working hard to be a three-down back,” Christensen said, via Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. “His receiving skills are 200 percent better than a year ago today.”

Ajayi had success as a receiver at Boise State and finding the same production as a pro would do a lot to make last season’s performance the jumping-off point Ajayi believes it was.

The Dolphins’ defense will determine how far they go this season, much more so than the offense.
At least Miami’s NFL record of avoiding defensive players in the first three rounds has come to a halt this year. From 2013-16, the Dolphins selected only two players (DT Jordan Phillips and CB Xavien Howard) in the first three rounds. That is a league record.